The Just King's General
by Iamsecretlynot
Summary: In which Edmund reflects on what he had. Companion fic to 'WHAT IF'.


**Meeting**

* * *

If anyone could be blamed for this mess, Edmund would have blamed Peter. He was the one who introduced them. He'd led the girl into the mess the siblings lovingly called their 'War Room'.

" _Here's your new General Ed."_

He'd straightened and taken in the sight. Crossed arms and a huge sword hung at her side. She met his gaze without wavering.

" _Aren't you forgetting something?"_ He asked.

She gave him that smirk and her voice rose above the entire room. " _Narnian's don't curtsey."_

Edmund remembered that the whole room choked. Peter looked angry. Someone stepped forward to berate her and he stopped him. " _Congratulations. You passed the test. What do you think of this?"_

He drew her deeper into the council room and he could of sworn that everyone exhaled.

 **Battle**

* * *

They fought back to back. She killed the man behind him and he caught the one who tried to sneak up on her. Spinning and thrusting. Leaping and kicking until their swords were at the foes throats.

And it was over, the white flag was raised. The men were cheering and she was gasping for air. He clasped her hand and shook it. " _You've earned your place here."_

 **Council Room**

* * *

They argued for what seemed like ages. She didn't want to compromise. She repeated her words, rising in intensity and he countered her. The men gave them a wide berth.

Finally, they reached a compromise. Shook hands and she went to go carry out his orders.

Then it happened again. Raised voices and waving hands. A clap on the back and wry joke finished that fight. Then they fought again. And again. The men got used to weaving around their superiors.

Edmund got used to thinking her as his equal. As his friend. He didn't realize how dangerous that was for him.

 **Disapprovement**

* * *

Susan and Peter corralled him in the throne room. They spent hours trying to hammer it into his head. " _Not your place, not her place to quarreling with the king. This isn't England and you can't do whatever you please."_

He didn't understand at first. She was his General. They were supposed to discuss the best way to defend the kingdom. Sure, it was loud, but disagreements are like that.

Susan had been the first to concede. " _Well, don't say I didn't warn you."_ She'd flounced out of the room.

Peter had tried longer. " _Ed, we aren't kids anymore."_

" _I know that."_

" _No. If you knew that, you wouldn't be pursuing her."_

" _Like I said, that's not what I'm doing."_

His brother had thrown up his hands in defeat. " _Well, she's your General. Your call."_

 **Dance**

* * *

He found her above all the noise. Standing in the shadow of a window, watching everyone dance. Impulse took him by the hand and guided his feet to her.

" _May I have this dance?"_

" _Why don't you find yourself some lady to dance with?"_ She asked.

Edmund looked around them and then back at her. " _I don't see any other ladies."_

He closed in on her and grasped her hands. They swayed back and forth in the hallway. He twirled her and her dress flared out around her, hitting his legs with its fabric. Hair fell into her eyes and she laughed. He leaned forward to brush it out of her face.

She lifted her head to his. She looked different in this light. No chainmail, no sword, no loud words. The hard angles had melted away in the soft music.

" _You look like an angel."_ He whispered.

She ducked her head and he knew he'd made a mistake. Stepped out of bounds. Kings aren't supposed to give compliments to Generals.

The full force of his sibling's warning hit him now. He was pursuing her. King's don't look at their Generals like that. And Generals don't duck their heads in embarrassment.

And there was no way he was going to stop now.

 **Realise**

* * *

Edmund wasn't expecting to find his General here. Tucked away in a corner with Lucy. Weaving flowers into circles and trading heady scent of lilacs and lilies filled the air. He leaned against a column to watch them.

She finished making lucy's crown and placed it on her head. Wildflowers of every shape and hue. Mostly yellow. The color of happiness.

Lucy placed a flower crown on her head in return. Regal purple flowers and dainty white baby's breath. The perfect combination for a queen. Edmund grinned. She looked so soft and happy. Very unlike the raging warrior that he was used to seeing.

" _What have you done with my General, Lu?"_ He teased.

Her eyes widened when she saw him. Jumping up, she reached to remove it from her head. He stopped her. " _Don't throw it away because of me. It suits you."_ He said earnestly.

Out of the corner of his eye, Edmund saw Lucy draw her breath. He stepped back.

" _We leave in thirty minutes."_

She squared her shoulders. His General was back. Despite her crown, she did not forget her place.

" _Affirmative Sir."_

 **First**

* * *

She gripped his arm. " _Don't get yourself killed."_ And then she kissed him.

Well. This was something new. Her hands were around his jaw and he didn't know her eyelashes were that long. It felt nice.

She released him and stepped back. " _See you around."_

He watched her walk away and for once in his life he was speechless.

Edmund resisted the urge to touch his lips or whatever people do in these situations. He had the battle to finish, men to lead, and a General to speak too.

After the battle maybe. Maybe he'd catch her afterward. Place that flower crown back on her head and tell her how beautiful she is. Tell her everything a King shouldn't say to a General.

Maybe even ask her to be more than a General. To have to the right to kiss her and hold her for forever. Hang whatever Peter or Susan might say.

 **Falling**

* * *

He fought his way to her. Men were pressing in all around her. She was fighting like she was already dead, desperate strokes. One more man to break through and he'd be at her side again. Back to back like normal. Defending each other like normal.

" _ED!"_

But it was already too late. Her body dropped to the ground. A man snatched her weapon and lunged into the next fight.

Someone was screaming. Edmund wasn't here, wasn't hearing the screams, wasn't striking his weapon. It was as if someone else had taken hold of his mind and he was striking blind.

The enemy was retreating. Men falling left and right. He didn't recognize them as his. Enemy colors. A voice was begging him for mercy. He doesn't remember if he granted them mercy.

Hands were holding him down, dragging him away from the fight. Peter was talking. Demanding something of an 'Ed'.

Wait.

He's Ed. He's Edmund. He's the Just King-and he's back. Blood is rushing through his head and everything is back in focus. Peter is holding his head in place, saying things that he doesn't understand. She's dead, she's dead, she's dead, she's dead-and all he wants to do is go home.

 **Cry**

* * *

He doesn't remember how he made it through the funeral. Peter said his piece- _Jolly good soldier, best General, greatly missed, etc-_ stoic faced. He didn't let on that not a single enemy that fought at that battle escaped alive. That they had to drag his brother off the battlefield.

They buried her in the orchard. Peter said that way the trees could preserve her memory forever. Ed shrugged off Lucy's comforting hands. Nevermind that the whole army had their eyes on him. Nevermind that the nobles were whispering among themselves.

He stepped up beside Peter. " _Narnians, if we forget her and the other brave soldier's sacrifices,"_ He took a deep breath. " _Then their deaths will be in vain."_

Now he was crying. By the Lion, he thought he'd done a good job holding it in.

The men came crashing in around him. He allowed them to hold him, to grieve for their fallen comrades together.

The country mourned with him.

 **Memory**

* * *

He remembered her again on Earth.

Scrubb was droning on and on about some rubbish. Jill chimed in at the right intervals. Edmund was crunching an apple, watching them argue. Peter and Lucy were acting as mediators. Their voices rose and fell with the tempo of the argument.

It took him a minute to realize that Jill's words were meant for him. " _What about Narnia? Wasn't there anyone there?"_

Her words caught his throat and tightened. Like a noose hanging around his neck, pulling him closer and closer to the truth. To _her_. When was the last time he'd thought about her?  
Lion's mane. She _died_ today. She died today and he'd forgotten.

Peter was giving him _that_ look and Lucy's face was blurring before his eyes and he knew he'd taken too long to respond. He blinked and Jill materialized in front of him. Studying him. He sensed that if he responded to her now, she'd know he was lying.

Ed shook his head. " _No,"_ He said hoarsely. " _There was no one."_

 **Aslan's Country**

* * *

Someone is calling him.

It's her.

Suddenly he didn't care who was looking. She'd seen him and she was running to him. She was here and before Edmund knew what was happening, he was holding her tight. They both were crying and he felt his friends eyes on him.

" _Don't leave me again."_ He whispered in her hair. She tightened her grip around his neck.

" _Never."_

He kissed her. A cheer sounded behind them. She smiled against his lips and he kissed her harder.

He'd found her again and this time he wasn't going to be too late.

* * *

No. I don't know her name. I tried to describe her as little as possible because we don't know. We don't know if Edmund ever fell in love in Narnia or in Earth. We don't know what his type was. (But because he's such a sweetheart, my headcanon is that he likes feisty warrior girls. ;) )

Have a lovely day! :)


End file.
